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Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

Ex keeps threatening suicide

62 replies

ConfusedMotherOfOne · 17/03/2018 03:07

What do I do? He's said he will see our son (18 months) Sunday and drop him at his mums Sunday night (he's staying there) for the last time and he won't see either of us again. What do I do??

OP posts:
FizzyGreenWater · 17/03/2018 14:58

The only non-negotiable here is that you absolutely MUST NOT let him have your son alone. Not to 'drop him' at his mum's - not even for a moment while you step out of the room. Really you should refuse to let him see him full stop right now. Be quite clear about this - he has made threats you are aware of - he has let you know that he is mentally unable to care for your child at the moment and may even be a danger to him - if you let him have sole care even for a moment, YOU are also being neglectful. Don't even consider it - it may sound paranoid but the last thing you want is some other interested party saying 'Well she knew his state of mind and she let him have the baby' - just no!

Protect your son and yourself. Pass on the details to the police, ideally, and social services. After that, it is entirely up to you whether you wish to maintain any sort of contact right now. You do not owe him anything, but I can understand that you would possibly want to assist in getting him help. As long as your son is nowhere near any of it.

Good luck.

ConfusedMotherOfOne · 17/03/2018 15:34

He's now changing his story saying he didn't mean that, he just meant he was done with the situation and wanted to run away. I posted feeling the same on here Monday just gone. I didn't tell him about feeling like that.

I'm seeing him shortly with our son and going to a shopping centre so we are somewhere public. I'll explain that he cannot be saying things like that or making threats as that's him acting unstably and he cannot be in care of our son in that state of mind.

If they're empty threats I'm sure they'll stop. If it's real, then he'll hopefully be pushed to make the right choices and get help.

I feel so much guilt- he's been emotionally abusive for some time but used me as his emotional outlet and leant on me for so long through hard times and not facing his own demons... I don't know. It's so hard.

Hopefully we can have a grown up civil confession this evening. I might even suggest blocking each other on WhatsApp so he cannot stalk me online and only communicate about our son via text messages.

Thanks for all your messages x

OP posts:
ConfusedMotherOfOne · 17/03/2018 15:35

Also he words things so strangely and makes me believe the worst so think he does sometimes make me think he means suicide on purpose. Mind games?

OP posts:
AnnaMagnani · 17/03/2018 16:06

Yep, mind games. Really limit how much you talk to/text him.

You aren't together anymore. Your communication should be limited to an assessment that your son is safe and drop off/pick up times. That's it.

Anything else is him pissing about.

TERFragetteCity · 17/03/2018 16:17

I posted feeling the same on here Monday just gone. I didn't tell him about feeling like that.

Are you saying you think he is stalking you on here and testing you by using your words back at you?

You need to see what you can do to extricate yourself from this man's power.

EyepatchOfTravis · 17/03/2018 16:22

Is he at any point going to be alone with your child in the foreseeable future? I would be extremely concerned if he were - whether he has changed his story or not. It sounds like he's aiming for total headfuckery at the very least and I wouldn't trust him looking after a goldfish, let alone my child!

pudding21 · 17/03/2018 16:39

confused I know how you feel as my ex has implied this on a few occasions. My stomach was in knots. I believe he was in a bad place when he sent me those messages, but he never intended to do anything, just make me worry. That is not to say he couldn't go through with it, he might, but there is nothing you can do to stop that if he really wants to.

Please don't let him see your child alone, if he sends again tell him you are worried about his mental health but you are not the one to solve that and he needs to see a professional. Tell him you will call the crisis team and police and let his family know. If you engage in trying to tell him not to etc, he will use this tactic again. I would also tell him that you are worried because of his suicide talk about him being alone with your child and speak to social services/ health visitor. You can review the situation as it goes along.

Its horrible, I know how you feel. Hope the meeting goes ok.

EyepatchOfTravis · 17/03/2018 16:42

Have you had any type of counselling by the way? It's interesting that you feel guilty about not being around to absorb his abuse - as if it were your job to be an emotional sponge in order to absorb his pain and stop him dealing with it himself. Why in the world would that be your job? It sounds like you need some help building up your self esteem. It's not your responsibility to save your ex from anything - including from himself. It is his responsibility.

cestlavielife · 17/03/2018 22:06

He s got what he wanted Hasnt he?
You running around after him.
Bringing his ds to see him and hanging out with him.
Taking on his problems.
Ds will be fine if he doesn't see him for couple of weeks while your ex decides if he going to seek help or not. This will just continue as it works it get s your attention

Goldmonday · 17/03/2018 22:12

Suicide threats are the most nuclear form of manipulation.

Call the police.

ConfusedMotherOfOne · 18/03/2018 12:17

Hi everyone.

I am currently under talking therapy via telephone once a week, have been since the start of me trying to break up because I felt so down, which meant SS got involved as they were concerned about the emotional abuse and the affects it'd have on our son. No further intervention by them just a phone call, but I think this was mostly because I said I was in the process of leaving.

Yesterday when I saw him he just completely bombarded me with questions regarding someone I've been speaking to, a male, who I shouldnt have spoken to I suppose whilst still in a relationship but it happened, I was being emotionally abused and made to feel worthless then someone online made me feel my worth (completely the wrong thing to do but obviously ex partner has hang ups on it due to trust issues) but I've explained 100s of times that the reason me leaving isn't to do with anyone else, just I've had enough and need to remove me and DS from the situation where we are at risk of danger from emotional abuse.

He's just saying he's realised what he did before was wrong and I am cruel for not giving him a second chance (because apparently even murderers and rapists get second chances so why doesn't he???).

I tried to explain that despite of if he knows what he did was wrong before and he's changed I am still allowed to want to leave and how hard this is for me and how I didn't come to the decision lightly, according to him all the trying I did before wasnt truly trying because I didn't express how unhappy I was until it was too late and I should have nipped it in the bud earlier. I've explained time. And time again that I couldn't speak out because I was scared about what his reaction would be and it shouldn't have taken me saying something for him to see how horrible and awful he was being to me.

Ended up me walking around the shopping centre in tears as he's making me feel so guilty about wanting to break up. But I try and say my point and he just says about how it's fine because he's done and he'll be gone tomorrow (tonight). He's now saying he didn't say suicide or going away and he doesn't know what he's going to do.

Then we had some dinner and he almost cried because he said he can't believe we won't be doing things like this again. I tried to explain we could for our son...

I told him how I understand how he is feeling as I am wanting to run away too and he said that shows that we need each other and need to be together (phases straight out of controlling behaviour 101 hand book right???) but honestly believe he believes what he's saying...

We said our goodbyes when I dropped him home and some part of me does want to try but another part I know if I went back it would be because of guilt and feeling sorry for him.

He messaged last night saying he'll always love me and he hopes he gets the chance to prove it to me one day and I said I didn't want him to kill himself and I'll always be there for him but then he messaged back saying we'll let's try then.... That's not what I mean!!

He's going to his mums for dinner and my son will be there and I'm going to message his mum to let me know when they arrive etc. And how he's been saying about disappearing for a few days and I'm concerned. Do I just ring 111 to report that he's unstable or what? Do I need evidence? He's avoiding writing "I want to kill myself" via message but is alluding to it and I do have those sorts of messages.

He even messaged first thing this morning saying "is there any hope" and its just heart breaking as I feel like I'm breaking up with him again and again.

He said he's speaking to therapist about being suicidal 2 times a week but surely they'd have contacted our HV? I don't believe he is.

OP posts:
ConfusedMotherOfOne · 18/03/2018 12:18

Why don't my paragraphs show !?!?

OP posts:
PNGirl · 18/03/2018 12:23

He is trying to manipulate you. I really would report him. You are allowed to end a relationship any time, and you do not have to give him a reason so he can decide where he thinks your decision sits on the reasonable - unreasonable scale.

PNGirl · 18/03/2018 12:25

Also, he is crying because a) he misses his nice comfortable life where you put up and shut up and b) he wants you to give him another chance to show him everything he did before doesn't matter and wasn't that bad.

Frith1975 · 18/03/2018 12:50

Don’t meet up with him again.

gillybeanz · 18/03/2018 12:59

I'm confused as why you are meeting him, you shouldn't be having anything to do with him apart from contact about your son.
FFs don't contact him again and don't reply to any messages.
You need to think about protecting your son and seeing your ex isn't doing this.
Your son should come first and ss won't be happy you and your son are still meeting up with him when he is abusive and they were worried for both your safety.

gillybeanz · 18/03/2018 13:01

I've just read your update, get your son back now, this man can't be trusted, please start keeping your son safe,

Jon66 · 18/03/2018 13:05

He's very clever at manipulating you and the situation. You don't need his problems. They are his not yours. I found real empowerment in a similar situation by deleting texts without reading them. Visits with children arranged through a 3rd party.

SparklyMagpie · 18/03/2018 13:06

Why on earth did you take your son ?

You need to cut him out, stop replying to his messages.

There's no way on earth if my ex was sending me messages like that he'd be anywhere near our child

Firgoodnesssake · 18/03/2018 13:08

I’m. It being nasty but you need to wake up and start acting like an adult.
You are enabling him and prolonging the torture for everyone involved.
Make a decision as to whether you are together or not.
Stop hanging around with him, going for dinner, walking around in tears.
You’re an adult so act like one, for the sake of your child caught in the middle of this.
I mean this with the best of intentions

PNGirl · 18/03/2018 13:08

Oh, missed this before - co-parenting doesn't mean you have to go out on "dates" to shopping centres and restaurants! When he says he can't believe that's all over, you say it is.

ConfusedMotherOfOne · 18/03/2018 13:20

I'm meeting him and letting him see our son in a public place rather than alone at his, surely that's better?

Sorry obviously don't really know what more I can do. My son is at his nanna's now and his father is there. He's staying at his nans tonight as I'm working tmoro and then I'm getting him back then.

Not really sure I need people having a go, this is all news to me but I still have to let him see his son, surely?

OP posts:
Gemini69 · 18/03/2018 13:22

stop buying into his manipulating.. stop replying to his needy texts and focus on yourself and your DS Flowers

FlippingFoal · 18/03/2018 13:28

Don't meet with him at all - arrange visitation through a contact centre where you can drop your son off and he can have supervised access. He's being really manipulative and I really feel for you

gillybeanz · 18/03/2018 13:33

OP, your ex has contact with your son through his nanna.
This isn't supervised by You.
Do you not realise that nanna wouldn't stand a chance of stopping ex from doing what he wanted to.
You must distance yourself from your ex, sort out some different childcare where ex can't gain access.
Apply to ss for supervised access, cover your back in case your ex does do something terrible.
Sometimes they do, you know, it isn't always an idle threat.
No he doesn't have a right to see his son unsupervised when he is so abusive.
You probably don't want to hear the truth, but you obviously need to be made aware as you obviously aren't.
Posters want to advise you to keep your son safe and not put him in danger, which he could be with this man.

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